Cairo is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — consider printing them all.Cairo (القاهرة al-Qāhirah) is the capital of Egypt and, with a total population in excess of 16 million people, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East (the regions which it conveniently straddles). It is also the 19th largest city in the world, and among the world's most densely populated cities.

Situated on the River Nile, Cairo is famous for its own history, preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and Coptic sites in Old Cairo. The Egyptian Museum in the center of town is a must see, with its countless Ancient Egyptian artifacts, as is shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. No trip to Cairo would be complete, for example, without a visit to the Giza Pyramids, and to the nearby Saqqara Pyramid Complex, where visitors will see Egypt's first step pyramid built by the architect Imhotep for the third dynasty pharaoh Djoser.

Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society. The Midan Tahrir area situated in downtown Cairo area , built in the 19th century under the rule of Khedive Ismail, has strived to be a "Paris on the Nile". There also are a number of more modern suburbs including Ma'adi and Heliopolis, while Zamalek is a quiet area on Gezira Island, with upscale shopping. Cairo is best in the fall or spring, when the weather isn't so hot. A felucca ride on the Nile is a good way to escape from the busy city, as is a visit to Al-Azhar Park. Cairo is vast; with more than 17 million people, it's the largest city in Africa and the Middle East. The downtown core consists of the following districts: (Midan Tahrir)Midan El Tahrir is the very centre of the modern city: big hotels, transport nexus and the Egyptian Museum, with downtown extending through Midan Talaat Harb up to Midan Ataba. Midan RamsesContains Cairo's main railway station and a burgeoning retail and accommodation zone. Garden CityA suburb close to the city centre and the Corniche el-Nil, a good option for centered accomodation. Islamic CairoThe centre of historic Cairo, located east of downtown; contains the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Khan el Khalili (the main bazaar or souq), historic mosques and medieval architecture, as well as some of Cairo's turkish baths or Hammams. Old CairoLocated south of downtown, includes Coptic Cairo, Fustat (Cairo's historical kernel) and Rhoda Island. Dokki and MohandeseenLocated on the west bank of the Nile, with upscale restaurants, shopping, and accommodation. Gezira and ZamalekUpmarket suburb on the Gezira island in the Nile, with hotels, the Cairo Tower, the Opera House, as well as some nice shopping, restaurants, cafes, and accommodation. Also, is where the Gezira Sporting Club is located. GizaGiza district is a sprawling western district of the city overlooking the Nile where the Giza Zoo is located as well as a few other attractions. Giza Governorate contains the Haram district where the Giza Pyramids are located. The Governorates of Cairo and Giza have more or less merged into the same city of Greater Cairo, although originally they were two different cities. The term Giza commonly refers to the district of Giza which is within Cairo, not the actual location of the pyramids! Heliopolis and Nasr CityThe two of them are actually completely distinct areas. Heliopolis is an older district where well-to-do Egyptians and higher class people live, built by a Belgian architect. Nasr City is newer, and contains City Stars, Cairo's biggest and most modern shopping mall, and retail social complex. The airport is actually located a bit further east of this area out in the desert near Masaken Sheraton Ma'adiA more quiet residential suburb catering to many foreign expatriates, located southeast of Cairo, where upper-class Egyptians live.Situated along the Nile, Cairo has ancient origins, located in the vicinity of the Pharaonic city of Memphis. The city started to take its present form in 641 A.D , when the Arab general Amr Ibn Al-Ase conquered Egypt for Islam and founded a new capital called Misr Al-Fustat, "the City of the Tents", due to the legend of Al-Ase finding, on the day he was leaving to conquer Alexandria, two doves nesting in his tent. Not wanting to disturb them, he left the tent, which became the site of the new city in what is now Old Cairo. The Tunisian Fatimid dynasty captured the city in 969 A.D and founded a new city, Al-Qahira ("The Victorious") just north of Al-Fustat. Al-Qahira gave the city its English name, Cairo, but the locals still call it Maşr (مصر), the Egyptian dialectal version of Amr's Mişr. Confusingly, this also the Arabic name of the entire country of Egypt! Today's Greater Cairo is a city with at least 17 million inhabitants, where skyscrapers and fast food restaurants nestle up to world heritage monuments. Originally, Cairo was the designated name of the city on the eastern bank of the Nile, and this is where you'll find both the modern Downtown, built under influence of French architecture, today the center of commerce and popular life, as well as historical Islamic and Coptic sights.

Outside the core on the eastern bank, you'll find the modern, more affluent suburbs of Heliopolis and Nasr City near the airport, and Ma'adi to the south. In the middle of the Nile is the island of Gezira and Zamalek, more Western and tranquil than the rest of the city. On the western bank is lots of modern concrete and business, but also the great Giza pyramids and, further to the south, Memphis and Saqqara. The city might seem like a lot to handle, but give it a try, and you will find that it has a lot to offer for any traveller! Today's Greater Cairo is a city with at least 17 million inhabitants, where skyscrapers and fast food restaurants nestle up to world heritage monuments. Originally, Cairo was the designated name of the city on the eastern bank of the Nile, and this is where you'll find both the modern Downtown, built under influence of French architecture, today the center of commerce and popular life, as well as historical Islamic and Coptic sights.

Outside the core on the eastern bank, you'll find the modern, more affluent suburbs of Heliopolis and Nasr City near the airport, and Ma'adi to the south. In the middle of the Nile is the island of Gezira and Zamalek, more Western and tranquil than the rest of the city. On the western bank is lots of modern concrete and business, but also the great Giza pyramids and, further to the south, Memphis and Saqqara. The city might seem like a lot to handle, but give it a try, and you will find that it has a lot to offer for any traveller! Greeting People When you approach any individual or a group of people for the first time, the best thing to say is the Arabic and also Islamic form of greeting "Es Salamu Aleykom", literal translation "Peace be upon you". This is the most common form of saying "hello" to anybody including friends or strangers, even if you're just asking something simple like asking for directions. It creates a friendliness between you and people you don't know, builds rapport, and helps build respect, important if you're in a foreign country! It is also considered polite to say this if you approach someone, instead of just asking them for something or speaking to them directly.

Other forms of greeting include "Sabah el kheir" literally: "good morning", "masaa el kheir" literally "good evening", or the more casual Egyptian "izayak" addressing a male, or "izayik" addressing a female, which means "hello" or "how are you?".

Smiling: Most people appreciate a smile if you approach them for the first time and smiling while speaking to an Egyptian is considered a polite and friendly thing to do. Most Egyptians smile when they speak to someone for the first time. People who don't smile while they speak are considered arrogant, rude, aggressive, unfriendly, etc. depending on the situation and the tone of voice.

However, be careful not to be too friendly or too smiley, especially if you're a female speaking to an Egyptian male, as they might mistake you for trying to befriend them or asking for them to flirt or hit on you. Even in a male-to-male conversation, being too friendly, implies that you're too polite, easy-going, and might give the other person the chance to try to take advantage of you some way or another. Always use common sense.

Kissing: Kissing on the cheeks between the opposite sex is considered mainly inappropriate. However, in some of the open-minded and more liberal circles, it is normal for men and women to kiss on the cheeks. Female-to-female kissing however is largely acceptable and quite normal when two females greet each other. It is two kisses, one on each cheek, and usually only between two females who know each other quite well, friends, or relatives. Male-to-male kissing on the cheek when greeting, is also normal, and not in anyway implying any homosexuality, though kissing is only restricted again to good friends, colleagues, relatives, a father and son, two brothers, etc.

Generally, people won't expect you to kiss when you greet, unless they know you well, or unless they kiss you first. Again, common sense applies.

When leaving, you can say the same "Es Salamu Aleykom", or simply "Maa Salama", literally: "with safety" or "with wellness" which is used to mean to say "goodbye". More educated Egyptians will say "bye-bye" derived from the English "goodbye" or "buh-bye" when leaving others.

Tone of Voice: Most Egyptians tend to have a loud voice when they speak, which is common to some other countries in the region. They are not shouting, but you will know the difference. Generally, if you speak with a loud voice and smiling, people know you just have a loud voice, but if you speak with a loud voice and are not smiling, people will know that you're angry, aggressive, rude, or deaf, depending on your tone of voice.

Expressing Your Opinion:

Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country so say nothing that might be perceived as an insult to Islam or the Egyptian culture. The same applies to any mention of the Middle East as a whole, since politically and culurally speaking, Egypt is infact a part of the Middle East and the Arab World as a whole, (contrary to the knowledge of most Western travellers). This is obvious as Egypt shares the same religion (Islam), the same language (Arabic), and more or less the same culture and values of the rest of the Middle East. The way the area is divided into two separate areas in western contexts (comprising North Africa as one area, and the Middle East as another, is mostly incorrect as the two of them together are considered and viewed by inhabitants of the region to be one--the Middle East.

Dress Code:

Women and men should wear modest clothing. It is considered disrespectful to the mainly conservative muslim inhabitants to see visitors walking around (with the exception of beaches and hotels) wearing clothing which reveal thighs, shoulders, bare backs or cleavage. Men should also not walk about bare chested or wearing very short shorts outside of the hotel or beach resort.

However, people generally tend to dress more liberally at beach resorts, nightclubs, social outings, weddings, or when engaging in any sport.

Mosque Etiquette:

Do not enter a mosque with any form of shoes, sandals, slippers, boots, etc. on. Always take them off before enterring as they carry the dirt from the street, and the mosque ( a place of prayer ) should be clean. You can keep socks on. This is extremely disrespectful, as muslim prayer involves kneeling down where the person's face touches the floor. Nobody wants their face to touch a dirty floor! Most mosques are carpeted.

Etiquette in the Presence of Prayer:

Also, avoid walking in front of persons in prayer. The reason is because when people kneel, they kneel to God. If you stand in front of someone while they are praying or kneeling, it is as if they are kneeling to you or worshipping you, a complete taboo and against the basic foundations of Islam. This can sometimes be difficult as Egyptians can and will be seen, laying out prayer mats on pavements to pray especially for the noon day Friday prayer. Otherwise, it is quite acceptable for visitors or Christian Egyptians, to carry on as normal in the streets or shops to operate during the prayer time.